User Reviews

A beautiful, atmospheric story about a haunted orphanage. To date, I think it's Del Toro's most "complete" film, combining his trademark visuals with a very touching story about war, death, guilt and grief - and ultimately hope.

Like 'Pan's Labyrinth' the story is set against the backdrop of the Spanish civil war (although here the war serves merely as a background noise). The film is so beautifully shot that I would recommend it even to people who don't normally like ghost stories (it does have some scary moments, mind); this one transcends the horror genre. 8 stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495

I like most of the plot structure of The Devil's Backbone. It is a powerful film that does a good job of showing the struggle of these orphans during the Spanish Civil War, and the struggles of those who are running the orphanage. There are a number of endearing characters, and their frustrations felt quite genuine. It was easy to sympathize with them, and I found myself forgiving some of their misdeeds because of the awful situation that trapped them in this place. I could even see where the villain was coming from, and how he came to be this man (even if he was a bit over-the-top at times.) The kids were mostly strong actors, and Fernando Tielve in particular gave an emotional performance that I enjoyed as the new boy to the orphanage. Likewise, it's easy to like Federico Luppi as the loving caretaker and doctor in the orphanage. There are also some solid visual effects and makeup work that made the ghost look creepy.

There's just one thing that stood out to me as a negative when watching The Devil's Backbone. I cannot understand why this is a ghost story. There is an intriguing drama going on with perfectly normal characters, and then there's a ghost. It is tacked on in the weirdest way, and never once feels like a natural part of the story. It made me think Guillermo del Toro was just testing the waters for what he would later do much more effectively in Pan's Labyrinth. That film blended the magical world into the story seamlessly, but The Devil's Backbone struggled to weave it together in a cohesive fashion. I've never been all that fond of ghost stories in the first place, so to see one grafted on like this lessened my enjoyment. I didn't even feel the scares were all that effective. I'm not sure if they were intending to make the film have a horror feel, but I could tell that there was nothing to fear from the ghost from the beginning. I still think The Devil's Backbone is an interesting film, and I appreciated most of the plot, I only wish it stuck to that main story and left the supernatural out.

THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is a Spanish language supernatural thriller. It consists of a haunted school for orphaned boys. Now, in an American film that would be all you get, a ghost running around scaring the young inhabitants of the gloomy building. That's it, and it would not be scary at all. It is to the credit that the makers of THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE present the actual ghost as the least frightening aspect of the film; he becomes, in fact, the moral center of a deeply complex story.

In Spain, the year is 1939 and Franco's army is advancing towards the small village where the most notable landmark is an impotent bomb jutting out of the ground in the center of the town. A child, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), his father's life taken in the bloody civil war, finds refuge with the Leftist caretakers of the school. Not a good place to be around at that time. He finds himself under the wing of Prof. Casares (Fererico Luppi), a strange intellectual who fears the oncoming dirge of Franco's forces. There is also some intrigue involving the caretaker Jacinto (Edvardo Noriega) and the revolution's small supply of gold. Oh, right and there is a troubled spirit of one of the dead children creeping through the bowls of the school, uttering ominous warnings to young Carlos ("Many of you will die.")...

It is one of the strongest elements of THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE that it does not become distracted by the ghost story, I mean what is one ghost compared to the very real fears of war, death, greed, abandonment, political persecution, abuse at the hands of adults, lust, and acceptance. A spirit cannot hurt us, it does not exist on the same plain of the living. His life has ended and he can no longer be troubled by the reality the characters face. A bullet or explosion wil not penetrate his flesh, he no longer feels pain. The boys who survive him are those who have to struggle for their small place on this earth.

The film paints in detailed strokes and does not cut corners when it comes to the emotions involved in the plot. The characters are not pawns to be startled periodically by cats or loud noises, they just happen to occupy the same space with a sad and restless dead boy.

The director, Guillermo Del Toro (CRONOS, MIMIC, the better-than-the-original-but-that-ain't-saying-much BLADE 2), handles the material very well, never losing sight of the story he has set out to tell. The metaphors he uses (the bomb, the pool, the contents of the jars) are rich and creative. Del Toro, along with his crew and actors, create moments of intense fear and unsettling action; the musical score, by Javier Navarette, is particularly effective. The film is dark and gloomy (perhaps overly so at times), but never succumbs to the easy answers in the shadows. As for the American films it will be compared to: THE OTHERS-not scary, THE RING-not scary, DARKNESS FALLS-not scary...THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is scary, complex and ultimately memorable.

8/10.

The year is 1939. The Spanish Civil War is nearing its bloody end. Ten year old Carlos, the orphaned son of a slain Republican, is left by his tutor at an isolated orphanage for boys. The school is destitute, barely able to provide enough food for the children, but headmistress Carmen and Dr. Casares do the best they can. Carlos accepts his fate bravely, but there are still school bullies to contend with, an unexploded bomb sitting in the courtyard as a constant reminder of the war which still rages, and an abusive caretaker named Jacinto who has his own secret agenda. As if that were not enough, a ghost begins stalking Carlos, the ghost of a boy named Santi whose demise is shrouded in mystery and who solemnly warns Carlos that many will soon die. As the war begins closing in on the orphanage, violence erupts within and Santi's prediction comes sadly true. But the worst has not yet happened. The abandoned boys must band together if they hope to survive, and the dead will aid their cause if they are to be avenged.

This is a beautiful movie, absolutely gorgeous from start to finish. The dusty, isolated landscape is a ghost itself and the constant threat of violence - from the war, to the bullies and, of course, from the traitorous Jacinto - gives this film an unrelenting atmosphere of tension and dread. The acting is superb, from the children as well as the adults. Federico Luppi as Dr. Casares is superb, providing us with a true hero, a gentleman of class and compassion. Eduardo Noriega is perfectly cast as the despicable Jacinto, making you despise him more and more as the film progresses. This is not just a ghost story, though the figure of Santi is central and key to everything that happens. It is a tale of love and honor as well as horror and ruin. It is a coming of age story and an adult drama. It also manages to be scary as hell when it wants to be.

Guillermo del Toro has made a masterpiece with "The Devils Backbone." Ten stars for this hauntingly lovely epic.

THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE (El Espinazo del Diablo)

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Dolby Digital

During the Spanish Civil War, a young orphan boy (Fernando Tielve) is sent to an isolated boarding school where he encounters the ghost of a murdered child (Junio Valverde) who warns him of impending disaster...

A masterpiece. Filmed in Spain by writer-director Guillermo del Toro following his unhappy Hollywood debut (MIMIC), this spellbinding melodrama works both as an examination of the political turmoil which characterized the Spanish Civil War, and as a simple ghost story in which a tragic spirit seeks vengeance for a terrible crime. Employing restless camera-work and atmospheric set designs to their best advantage, del Toro visualizes his own script (co-written with Antonio Trashorras and David Muñoz) as the story of a vulnerable child cast adrift in a strange new world, where he must contend not only with everyday problems (such as the school bully, Ínigo Garcés, whose motives are rather more complex than they first appear), but also his frequent encounters with the unhappy ghost, some of which are genuinely unsettling (watch out for the heart-stopping sequence in which Tielve is besieged in a closet by the enraged phantom).

Production values are first-class throughout, ranging from César Macarrón's evocative art direction and Salvador Mayolas' ultra-creepy sound design, through to Luis de la Madrid's crisp editing skills and Javier Navarrete's unforgettable music score. Visual effects and makeup designs are also superb, though deliberately underplayed for maximum emotional effect. The cast is toplined by Spanish movie veterans Marisa Paredes (a favorite of Pedro Almodóvar) and Federico Luppi (CRONOS), and there are impressive turns by Irene Visedo as a young woman whose loyalties are divided by circumstances, and rising star Eduardo Noriega (the Spanish equivalent of Brad Pitt) as Visedo's boyfriend, an orphan-turned-caretaker whose volatile nature leads to a dramatic conclusion, with appalling consequences for everyone around him. Tielve is magnificent as the wide-eyed innocent at the center of the narrative, and Garcés is every bit his equal as the bully who reclaims his dignity during a climactic showdown with the forces of evil. Released around the same time as THE OTHERS (2001) - another Spanish ghost story, filmed in English as a vehicle for Nicole Kidman - THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE was consigned to Art-house distribution by virtue of its status as a subtitled movie and suffered a comparative loss at the US box-office, though del Toro's magical fever dream is unquestionably the better of the two films.

(Spanish dialogue)

This is not just an incredibly effective ghost story, but a cinematic masterpiece. Like his "Cronos," Del Toro has created a rich horror fable that is driven by 3-dimensional characters involved in a fascinating plot that leads to a wholly satisfying ending. With many developments along the way that shock, move, and thrill. And of course the political allegory and reality of the film, the Spanish Civil War, all the orphan boys of noble Loyalist fighters fighting their own war against a truly horrifying fascist villain, the young and handsome Jacinto, who is not without a sad ghost in his own past that feeds his destructiveness.

Del Toro is one of the most intelligent and humane directors working today, not something usually said about auteur in the horror genre. I have not seen "Hellboy" but think less of his US endeavors than these two Spanish masterworks...

The Devil's Backbone is a good drama-horror film about a kid that sent to orphanage and he saw a ghost. It's overall good drama, not so much about the mystery. There's one thing that really bothers me. It doesn't have to be a horror film. The plot would've worked just fine without any horror aspect whatsoever. In fact all the progression, the twist and turn will makes perfect sense either way. Maybe they made it on purpose for the sake of making a 'horror-genre' film. I know that Guilermo also made this mistake again in Crimson Peak (2014). I guess it's just his style...?

Anyway, good drama, okay mystery, none-sense horror.

Some people think horror is about busty teens and young rebels being picked off by mysterious killers or lots of gore from a made up creature. Well this film has neither so stay away.

What you do have is a stunning film with great actors playing real people with real issues. Three or four stories are interwoven perfectly, set off with great imagery...all set around the Spanish civil war and the haunting corridors of an orphanage for abandoned children.

While the film does contain a ghost -the murdered child, Santi- the real horror of the film comes from the greed of certain adults who occupy the orphanage with the children.

This film is intelligent poetry on screen -mortality, love, hate, jealousy, greed and redemption are all explored.

This film puts many films to shame just for having a great story at it's core.

...An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber."

Often compared to "The Sixth Sense (1999)" and "The Others (2001)", "The Devil's Backbone" is even a better film, the ultimate ghost story that goes beyond the genre and very successfully mixes horror, suspense, and coming of age during the war time story. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film takes place during the Spanish Civil War in an isolated boarding school for the orphans of the War where a new boy, Carlos encounters the ghost of a murdered child Santi whose body was never found and who warns Carlos that "Many of you will die". How did Santi die? Why does not he leave the school's courtyard, what is the tragedy he is trying to prevent? It is up to Carlos to find the answers to these and many more questions as well as to stand up to the school's bully, Jaime and to find out what is behind the violent hostility of the orphanage's nasty caretaker, Jacinto who himself was and orphan and had been a pupil in the school as a child. The movie is not just beautifully directed – it is very well written and provides the deep insight into each character, including school headmistress named Carmen (Marisa Paredes), kind and brave Professor Casares, vicious bully Jaime who would turn a lonely and scared boy and even the embodiment of evil, Jacinto with his own heartbreaking story. Along with "The Spirit of the Beehive", "Devil's Backbone" is a harrowing exploration of the war and its affect on childhood. It also brings to mind such classic as Bunuel's "Los Olvidados" – and this is the best praise I have for any movie. Highly recommended.

A classy Hispanic horror movie finely written by Antonio Trashorras, David Muñoz, and Guillermo Del Toro himself. Set late Spanish Civil War,1936-1939, after his Republican dad dies in battle , 10-year-old Carlos : Fernando Tielve, is left at a desert orphanage. There he faces off a bully boy and suffers bullying and isolation. The orphanage formed by waif pupils is run by a crippled woman named Carmen : Marisa Paredes and a good doctor : Federico Luppi. Both of whom hope to protect their charges from advancing of the Francoist troops. Here is also a nasty, violent janitor : Eduardo Noriega, who mistreats and abuses the innocent childen . But rare happenings occur , as dangers and risks exist inside the brittle sanctuary . As there are chilling rumours around a little boy who was missing. Hence a creepy ghost mystery turns into a terrifying tale concerning opposing forces taking on themselves . At the end concealed passions eventually burst in unexpected and tragic consequences.

A superior psychological thriller with horror and fantastic elements . I filters the traumatic conflict of the Spanish Civil War, though it is partly comprehending eyes of a child. This is a pretty good picture whose methaphorical/poetic messsage glossing on historical and political realities. It contains an impressive and rousing denouement in which Del Toro builds a surprising result with explosive as well as deadly events. It displays vivid performances from the protagonists kiddies, as well as veteran Marisa Paredes giving top-notch acting as the crippled and bitter Principal, Federico Luppi as the kindly professor Casares and Eduardo Noriega as the self-serving and surly janitor. Other secondaries briefly appearing are as follows : Irene Visedo, Francisco Maestre, Berta Riaza and José Luis Lorenzo.

It packs a mysterious and thrilling musical score by Javier Navarrete. Evocative and adequate cinematography by Guillermo Navarro, Del Toro's regular. As well as polished, but subtle FX from Reyes Abades and DDT that also made Pan's labyrinth. This bloody and haunting ghost story was competently directed by Guillermo Del Toro, though direction sluggish, at times. Del Toro is a cinephile who usually shows on his movies , the deep knowledges about film history. He is a fine writer and director with special penchant for fantasy, horror and weird stories. As Guillermo has made successful films, such as Cronos, Pan's labyrinth, Mimic , Hellboy I and II, Blade II, Pacific rim, Crimson peak, The shape of the water, among others. Rating 7/10. Better than average.

Great care has been taken with the art direction. You are immediately transported to 1939, with Franco's army about to descend on the Spanish countryside. Even the crumbling buildings of the boys' school the characters inhabit play a role. The actors are superb, and the child actors give award-worthy performances.

This story is only incidentally a ghost story. It's a story about love and betrayal and the miseries of war visited on a people. It has a lot to teach about the depths of human cruelty, and the grace of sacrifice. It left me weeping. I don't want to label it Del Toro's masterpiece so early in his career, but it will stand through the years with his best work.

**SPOILERS** With the Fascist Franco forces overrunning Spain, in March 1939, this orphanage run by a group of loyal Spanish Republicans is in danger of being taken over with it's staff shot for supporting the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. The couple running the orphanage Casares and Carmen, who lost her right leg in the war, are secretly buying the Republican Forces arms with a large stash of gold bars and now plan to leave the country before Franco takes over.

It's there in the orphanage that young Carlos is sent to be looked after. It's also there where he's contacted by one of the orphans who disappeared when the orphanage was bombed by Fascist war planes about a year ago. It turns out that Carlos is given the same bed ,#12, that Santi slept in before he disappeared from the orphanage. That get's Jamie, a orphan who was a friend of Santi, very mad at him.

It turns out that the night that Santi disappeared a huge bomb, dropped from a plane, borrowed itself into the grounds of the orphanage as if to remind everyone about Santi's fate. We also later learn that Jamie was at the scene that night and saw what happened to his friend Santi and kept it a secret all this time until Carlos arrived.

Carlos starts to see an aberration at the orphanage the first evening he's there that turns out to be Santi's ghost. Santi seems to be trying to contact and tell Carlos what happened to him, it's by now obvious that he's dead, and even more important just who killed him. Wanting to have his killer brought to justice Santi guides Carlos to a former orphan, and now janitor of the orphanage, Jicinto who it turns out was robbing the safe where Carman kept the gold bars. One evening Santi caught him in the act and that lead to Jicinto accidentally, by slamming his head against a brick wall, killing him. Unknown to Jicinto Santi's friend Jamie was also at he scene and saw the whole thing.

Jicinto hid Santi's body in a pool inside the orphanage but now the soul, or ghost, of Satni was breaking loose and getting in touch with Carlos. Jicinto for the time being is having a affair with Carmen behind Casares' back and is planning, with a number of his cohorts, to win over her confidence. This in order for him to get the key to rob her of the gold bars she has locked up in her safe. Everything comes together in the movie when the Fascists begin to consolidate their gains and are about to drive the Republican Forces out of Spain.

Casares going into town sees that the Fascists have taken it over and one of his fellow Republicans, Ayala, had been captured and is about to be executed. This gets Casares to think that the Fascists have gotten the truth out of Ayala about his orphanage being a front for getting arms to the Republican Forces. Getting back Casares warn Carman that she, and him, will have to leave the country right away before the Fascists come over and put them both against a wall and shoot them.

It's then, during all this confusion, when Jicinto tries to get the key to the safe where Carmen keeps the gold only to have her tell him to get lost. Carmen had already figured Jicinto, who stole the gold bars, out for the back-stabbing swine that he is. Casares kicks Jicinto out of the orphanage, at gun point, only to have him sneak back in and blow the entire place up killing a number of people including Carman. Jicinto's fiancée, a teacher at the orphanage, Conchita who also didn't realize what a swine he was also ends up being killed by him when she doesn't want to go along with him and his friends in getting the gold bars.

Jicinto back at the now burnt out and battered orphanage to get the gold bars find that their gone, Carmen hid them in her wooden leg, and with his fellow cooks gone,they also had enough of him, and Casares dying from his wounds, that he receives in Jicinto blowing up the orphanage, Jicinto's left all by himself. Not knowing that all this was arraigned by Santi, from the great beyond, to get him into a trap that he set for him.

Jicinto finds the gold bars but he's also found by the dead Santi who together with the remaining orphans, including Carlos & Jamie, have him pay for what he did, not only to Santi but to everyone else at the orphanage.

Dull ghost story with half-hearted commentary on the Spanish Civil War. The whole thing seems to exist to prop up a few nifty special effects and a vague sense of atmosphere. I struggled to maintain interest... the characters are bland, the scares entirely absent (unless you have a weak stomach for mildly gory bits), the story feels slapped together from fragments of ideas. There's a reveal that I suppose is meant to be a surprise twist, but it's pretty obvious from the first act. It's just really hard to care about what's going on, and there's not much going on anyway. Carlos approaches the ghost and then gets scared and runs away. Creepy Eli Roth-looking dude does something nasty. Repeat, repeat, repeat. While the craftsmanship is somewhat impressive, it's an empty experience, free of passion, wisdom or thrills.

"... As the road struck into the sierra we branched off to the right and climbed a narrow mule-track that wound round the mountain-side. The hills in that part of Spain are of a queer formation, horseshoe-shaped with flattish tops and very steep sides running down into immense ravines. On the higher slopes nothing grows except stunted shrubs and heath, with the white bones of the limestone sticking out everywhere. ..." - George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia, Chapter 2

It is unlikely that Mexican-director, Guillermo del Toro, will ever top this film, it is his greatest-achievement. While certainly a horror-film, it so-much-more, an allegory of the betrayals that led-to the rise-of-fascism in Spain. Most small-arms came-from Mexico, and Del Toro has said in-interviews that he lived-in a neighborhood populated by Republicans who had fled after-1939. Some have commented that the film takes-place after the fall of Republican Spain(the 1939 fall of Catalonia), but this is incorrect. The fall hasn't come-yet, and this free-fall state is the universe that the film inhabits. Taking-place in a Republican Orphanage for fallen-anarchists, Leftists, and Republican-politicians, the film is always in a state of anticipation and a kind-of limbo. All the Republican-caretakers can do is wait for the fall, and the repression that was surely-to-follow. Betrayed by the Catholic Church, the Soviet Union under-Stalin, political-infighting, and even the Western Democracies, Franco was given a blank-check to slaughter legitimate, democratic-forces by-1939. 2,000 Americans joined the "Abraham Lincoln Brigade" to fight Franco's forces, and a "United Front" of Leftists and Unionists from throughout-the-world had went to Spain to "fight the good-fight".

Meanwhile, the Roosevelt-administration banned all-sales of war-material (most-particularly, aircraft-engines and ammunition) to Republican-forces. Franco had many-allies, and would remain-in-power until his timely-death in November, 1975...Spain has been-celebrating ever-since. And-so, "The Devil's Backbone" can only be-about the ghosts of this period, particularly those Spaniards who were betrayed by politicians who shared so-much with Franco. The title, incidentally, comes-from a range-of-mountains where Republican-forces were bogged-down, then-defeated; it is referred-to as the Sierra de Alcubierre. Even George Orwell was there, and he wrote a book on his experiences fighting to save Republican Spain.

If "Devil's Backbone" says-anything, it is that "these were times that showed what people then were made-of." Dr. Cásares and Carmen represent the weakened-Republic, with her leg-missing, and he being-impotent. Then, there is Jacinto, once an orphan, now a caretaker of the orphanage--a betrayer, a criminal, and a murderer. Even-worse, though, is that amidst-the-chaos of the Civil War, the orphanage is haunted by the ghost of a former child-resident who may-have been murdered. The orphanage IS Spain, with its' fascist-bomb, unexploded in-the-courtyard, a direct-reference to the bombing of the Spanish-town, Guernica. Guernica was the first-incident of the bombing-of-civilians in modern-history, and was immortalized in a painting by-Pablo Picasso The deformed-fetus in the jar is the Spain-that-never-was, still-born, unnaturally. Dr. Cásares, then, is the legacy of Spanish Republicanism, a good-legacy that literally aids the living in the finale of the film. However, if I tell you anything-else this character, the film will be ruined! You can figure-out the rest, most audiences aren't given enough-credit. Stand-and-be-counted, these are "times that try men's souls". History never ends.

I'm a massive fan of the horror genre, but I don't like ghost stories. To me, ghost stories are a poor manifestation of the genre. It's not the idea of ghosts that's the problem, it's the way the stories are presented; often dull, slow moving and uninteresting, and those are things that do not make a good movie. However, there is an exception to every rule; and this film is the case with that one. The Devil's Backbone is a mesmerising and inventive addition to the ghost story tradition. The film moves slowly, but that is a definite advantage to it. The slow pace allows us to get to know, and even care for the characters before the horror starts, and this makes the horror all the more potent when it does start. The Devil's Backbone has been touted as 'the Spanish Sixth Sense', and although this is unfair as this is hardly a bad film; I can see where that notion is coming from. The main difference between the two, however, and the reason why this film works and Shyamalan's doesn't is that the parts between the horror here aren't boring, are well acted and serve a purpose in that they allow us to get to know the characters; Shyamalan got too caught up in trying to make his twist work and the drama in-between caught the brunt of that, rendering the film boring.

The film can't really be accurately described as a 'horror film', it's more of a drama come character study with horror elements. The horror elements are pronounced, as the ghost is the centrepiece of the story, but the film doesn't focus on them enough for it to be considered horror. Entwined within it's plot is a coming of age tale, a story of revenge and a nice little section on 'what is a ghost'. I like it when a film delves into it's subject material and attempts to give something of an explanation; Return of the Living Dead did it for zombies (albeit comically), and The Devil's Backbone does it here for ghosts. The coming of age side of the story is brought to life brilliantly by some sublime acting courtesy of the young cast. Entwined within the story are themes of the kids being thrust into a situation that requires them to grow up fast, and it also sees them dealing with themes of death and revenge.

One thing you will instantly notice about this film is the fantastic cinematography. The film has a gritty style, but despite this it manages to come off looking crisp and clean. There are some shots that are incredibly beautiful. All shots with the ghost, which is one of the best crafted ever, come to mind immediately but also of note are the underwater sequences, the special effects and the capture of the location. The film is set in an orphanage somewhere the Spanish desert, and this location serves the movie magnificently. The fact that it's a day's walk away from the nearest town makes the film very isolated, which allows the horror more potency. Guillermo Del Toro is an obviously talented director. He has this film under his belt, along with Cronos (which I haven't yet seen, but have heard great things), but after that it's hit and miss. Blade 2 was a good film, and a refreshing one after the lackluster first part; but Mimic wasn't very good on the whole, despite some good moments. More recently he's gone on to direct Hellboy, which again I haven't seen but it looks like another fun film. I hope Del Toro makes a return to art soon, he has the talent and it would be a shame to lose him to 'decent' films.

'El Espinazo Del Diablo' is set in an orphanage (that beautifully symolizes Spain during the civil war) just before the fall of Catalonia. It works both as a gripping political drama and an engaging ghost story. Del Toro brings cleverly brings the elements of both genres together to tell the story, something he also accomplished in his more recent 'El Fauno del Laberinto' (where he amazingly combines fantasy horror with political drama).

Just like with 'El Fauno del Laberinto', Del Toro has taken care that this film isn't neglected in the aspects of film-making. The cinematography stands out. The yellowish tint stresses on the stifling heat and adds to the deserted isolation of the orphanage. The use of symbolism and riddles is remarkable. The details, e.g. flies buzzing around corpses, dusty atmosphere etc are given considerable attention. Visuals are just as impressive e.g. bloody flying in the air like a part of the wing. Del Toro extracts fine performance from all the actors. Seasoned actors like Federico Luppi, Marisa Paredes and Eduardo Noriega (in a menacing role) are superb to say the least but the child actors too hold their own.

The characters in 'El Espinazo Del Diablo' represent very distinct qualities that make a human nature. For example, Jacinto as the greedy one and Carmen's object of lust, Carlos as the innocent but determined one and Casares as the wise and silent one. In addition to that, the film itself is very poetic and metaphorical. There's a beautiful scene where Casares tells Carlos what a ghost is. Well, I won't say what was told but that was a very powerful scene.

In a nutshell, 'El Espinazo Del Diablo' is a horrifying, tragic but beautiful film. It will provide you with more than what you expect...as long as you don't know what to expect.

This is a pretty good drama-thriller-horror story. I thought it was supposed to be more of a horror movie than anything else, but it turn out to be that. It was more of a straight drama with a ghost thrown in here and there for some creepiness. However, the ghost was a young boy so it wasn't very scary.

The movie is a story about an orphanage in rural Spain during the Spanish Civil War. That's about it.

It's okay but nothing super.

Call me old-fashioned, but I was sorry to hear the young boys swearing as much as they did.

I got into Guillermo Del Toro with his 2006 release of Pan's Labyrinth. As a new fan, I hadn't heard much of his earlier stuff. I then got a recommendation from a friend on this site that this is one of the best horror films of the last decade or so. He was correct in every single way. This film truly is a masterpiece.

Guillermo Del Toro always seems to find fantastic child actors who are absolutely perfect for their roles. This movie is no exception to that but not just the children are good, absolutely everyone is. The story is a very classic ghost story with the back drop of the Spanish civil war and there are a lot of great themes involved. Don't wait much longer to see it.

Fans of Pan's Labyrinth and The Orphanage will love this movie. It's truly a film that deserves to be in every horror fan's collection. See it, NOW!

The Devil's Backbone is definitely more drama than horror. This film has some haunting imagery, but the supernatural element is almost a side note. The story didn't captivate me, however, even though the acting and the sets are impressive. Maybe I would have liked this movie more if I were more familiar with the Spanish Civil War.

The Devil's Backbone may just be the finest ghost story ever put on film. No need for a twist ending or Hollywood shocks here, this is intelligent, thoughtful, imaginative film-making at its best. Guillermo del Toro is one of the most talented directors working today and this is the best film he's made so far. Seeing this movie makes The Others and The Sixth Sense look gimmicky and weak. Set during an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War we are treated to wonderful performances by the kids and adults, a very cool and creepy ghost (who always appears to be underwater), and a nice dash of action. All and all this is horror film-making at it's best, del Toro is truly a master as evidenced by this and his debut film Cronos.

The story here holds no surprises and (almost) every beat is predictable. However, the atmosphere - the music, the style, the creativeness on display - really boosts the film and brings this oft-heard story to life.

For my money, a good horror film is never really about what it shows on the surface. Frankenstein is not about some horrifying monster lumbering about, frightening villagers. It is about man's quest to become god. Dracula is not about some blood-sucking fiend terrorizing young ladies. It is about the utter seductiveness of a dark evil that lives inside of us. The Devil's Backbone falls squarely within this gothic, literary tradition. The atmosphere created by the director is wonderfully thick with a slow-moving tension. The performances are more than convincing, they show a cast totally committed to the story they are telling. The story itself is a darkly magical look at the way memories and our past actions have ways of haunting us. And it contains one "action" sequence that stands up to the best of any produced by Hollywood.

If you only like horror movies that thrill or have "twisty-turning" endings, you probably won't like this film. And if you're the type of movie-goer who insists on films falling into easily recognizable categories, this one will most likely confuse you (it's a gothic drama, NOT straight-out horror). But if you enjoy challenging movies, a movie that will captivate and haunt you afterwards, a well-made film that will touch your heart and leave you a bit melancholy but satisfied, give yourself over to The Devil's Backbone.

Before watching i expected to watch an american style horror story but this movie is something completely different. I won't call it a masterpiece like so many other reviewers did but i will say that it was very atmospheric, consistent, with amazing performances, especially the children acting was a cool surprise. Many times i find children in movies to act in a way that a normal child wouldnt but this is not the case here. The acting is very convincing and you really believe what you're watching is real. I enjoyed the overall plot, i connected mostly to the children and not so much with the adult characters but i think that was the point of the movie to feel what these children are going through, a very harsh life, full of pain,loss, fear and uncertainty. Im not a big Del Toro fan but this movie is very complete and it feels a bit like a fairytale, its very poetic in a way. If you expect creepy ghostly creatures, jump scares, gore and crazy visual effects this is not for you. To me the film is drama more than horror, but it has horror and supernatural elements of course. Definitely worth watching. Its 7,5/10 for me.